Recreational Game Apparatus

ABSTRACT

The invention is a portable and customizable Skelzies-like game that includes multiple customizable mats and game pieces, which are each adapted to allow the game pieces to slide upon the mats

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed to Provisional Application No. 62/591,981 filed onNov. 29, 2017, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein byreference as if part of the present specification.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

Today, in a fast-paced world, children of all backgrounds are losing asense of community and engagement. Their social skills are limited asmany hide behind smart phones and tablets. As well, with the onset ofvideo games, our youth simply engage very little in physical activity.The present invention will allow for face to face interaction thusbuilding social skills, planning skills, dexterity and physicalactivity, all with the ability to play both outdoors in a park or in ahome setting, with ease.

Description of the Related Art

Games that involve physical exertion do exist and provide entertainment,but lack portability and customization. Game tables, such as thosedescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,985, are bulky and often requireelectricity, which is not always readily available. As such, transportis very difficult and often impractical. Other games, such as thosedescribed in US. Patent Application No.: 2009/0256311, describe a gameapparatus that comprises an impassable outer barrier and several innerbarriers.

These games are not ideal for those hoping to play a game that is closerto Skelzies, primarily because the games are played on a board with anouter barrier, and aren't customizable to a set room size. Skelzies is astreet game traditionally played without borders or external barriers onthe asphalt streets of an inner city.

SUMMARY

One object of the invention is to provide a customizable game. Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a transportable game. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a game that can be played almostanywhere.

These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by therecreational game apparatus described herein that includes a pluralityof mats adapted to be removably marked with playing data, the matshaving a periphery with a beveled edge; and game pieces, having bevelededges.

In a specific embodiment of the invention, the recreational gameapparatus includes thirteen mats each marked sequentially and four gamepieces.

Methods are provided that include distributing mats about a surface andsequentially flicking game pieces toward each mat.

The present invention addresses various objects of the invention, whichinclude providing a portable game that that is customizable and does notinvolve the use of boards or require electricity. In the novel aspectsof the invention, a recreational game apparatus is providing thatcomprises

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustrative perspective view of the one embodiment of themats of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustrative top view of one embodiment of a game piece ofthe invention;

FIG. 3 is a cut-away side view of a specific embodiment of a game pieceof the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an illustrative top view of one embodiment of the mat of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the Figures, and in one embodiment of the invention,recreational games 2 and methods comprise at least one game piece 6(FIGS. 2-3) and at least one mat 4, each mat 4 having beveled edges 8about the periphery, which allow game pieces 6 to slide thereupon eachmat 4. With specific reference to FIG. 4, beveled edge 8 of each mat 4is beveled such that top surface 18 of each mat 4 slopes downward towardthe floor, ground or other base in order to accept game pieces 6. Withreference to FIG. 3, base 10 of game piece 6 is beveled along theperiphery of its edge 12 such that top portion 14 of game piece 6 slopestoward a center point of base 10 to allow game piece 6 to slide uponbeveled edges 8 of mats 4 when flicked during play.

Top portion 14, of game piece 6, therefore, has a larger diameter thanbase 10. Without beveling of both mats 4 and game pieces 6, game pieces6 could not slide upon the top surface of mats 4 during play. Because ofthe beveling properties one can create their own Skelzies cap in thetraditional fashion of taking a bottle cap, filling it with wax andshooting it through the playing field, thus playing the game as it wasoriginally intended. Top surface 18 of mats 4 has a lesser surface areathan a base portion of mats 4. In specific embodiments of the invention,game piece 6 is comprised of two parts. In the specific embodiment ofthe invention illustrated in FIG. 3, game piece 6 is one unitary part,with no separate pieces.

Mats 4 are of any size, shape, and thickness so long at edges 8 aresufficiently beveled in accordance with the invention sufficiently toallow game piece 6 to be flicked thereupon by a player. In oneembodiment of the invention, mats 4 are about one-eighth of an inchthick. In another embodiment of the invention, mats 4 are one-half inchthick. In various embodiments of the invention, mats 4 are at least oneof octagonal, hexagonal, or circular.

In one embodiment of the invention (FIG. 1) mats 4 are each of the samesize, shape and thickness. In another embodiment of the invention (notshown), at least one mat 4 is a different size, or shape when comparedto at least one other mat 4. In specific embodiments of the invention(not shown), mats 4 increase in size as the level information thereuponincreases. For example, and in a specific embodiment of the invention,mats 4 marked with levels 1, 2 and 3 are 8″×8″, mats 4 marked 4, 5, 6are 7″×7″, mats 4 marked 7, 8 and 9 are 6.5″×6.5″ and any remaining mats4 are 6″×6″. Mats 4 may be marked in any way in accordance with variousembodiments of the invention.

Mats 4 may be made of any material or mixture thereof that allows gamepieces 6 to slide upon top surface 18 of mat 4. In specific embodimentsof the invention, mats 4 are comprised of plastic, foam, acrylic, orrubber.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, top surface 18 of mats 4 are eachremovably marked with playing data 16. Playing data 16 is any data usedto facilitate game play. In preferred embodiments of the invention,playing data 16 includes at least one number selected from a groupincluding 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. In otherembodiments, playing data 16 also includes level information, including,but not limited to decimal valued level information, start and base playinformation. In specific embodiments of the invention, playing data 16includes a hyper spot. A hyper spot is an area where if a game piece 6lands directly onto it, a player will either be allowed to skip twosequential mats 4 or be downgraded to sequential mats 4. Hazards orhazardous mats 4 are to be avoided.

Game piece 6 may be any item capable of sliding onto mat 6 with theforce of the flick of the human hand. In one embodiment of theinvention, game piece 6 is a disk. In accordance with the invention,game 2 includes multiple game pieces 6. In a specific embodiment of theinvention, game 2 includes four game pieces 6. Game pieces 6 each have abeveled edge 12 about the periphery, which allow game piece 6 to slideonto the upper surface 18 of mat 4. Game pieces 6 may be any color, andmay include a means for glowing in the dark about top portion 14 of eachpiece 6.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, game 2includes twelve numbered mats 4 that include playing data 16 to indicategame level, a start mat, a base mat, and hazardous zone mats. Inalternative embodiments (not shown), the mats 4 are each markedsequentially from 0.25 through 3.25. Each mat 4 may be colored andinclude a means for glowing in the dark. At least one mat 4 may includea hyper spot. In all embodiments, mats 4 are removably marked, whichallows a user to customize game 2.

In one embodiment of the invention, a means for glowing in the dark isabout the surface of at least one of mats 4 or game pieces 6. The meansfor glowing in the dark may be any means capable of making mats 4 orgame pieces 6 locatable in low light environments such as after sundown,or inside an interior space with low or no interior light.

In a specific embodiment of the invention, game 2 comprises a total offourteen sequentially marked mats 4 and four game pieces 6, one perplayer. If there are two players, game 2 comprises a total of fourteensequentially marked mats 4 and two game pieces 6 divided equally betweenthe two players. Other mats 4 may also be employed in addition tosequentially numbered mats 4. For example, two to four “hazard” markedmats 4. In this particular embodiment, game 2 also comprises a mat 4marked “start” and a mat 4 marked “Skelzie Base 13,” as shown in FIG. 1.

In one embodiment, a method for playing game 2 comprises placing mats 4in various configurations along a surface such as a floor or the ground.Mats 4 may be placed in a traditional Skelzies or Sculley (as usedherein “Sculley” and “Skelzies” have the same meaning) layout, or in anyimagined layout. The method does not utilize a board, table or the like,which allows play and transport of game 2 anywhere. After laying outmats 4, players then alternatively flick game pieces 6 toward mats in anattempt to place game pieces onto the top surface of mats 4. Game piecesmust land on mats 4 sequentially if the playing data 16 includes numbersor levels. As such, a player would initially aim for the first level mat4. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a player would initially aimat mat 4 marked “1.” It should be noted that players utilize skill toflick game pieces onto certain mats 4 (level mats 4, start mat 4 andbase mat 4), while avoiding other mats 4 (hazardous zone mats). Alongthe course, there are rules that can either propel a player ahead, suchas landing directly into a Hyper spot, or landing on a hazardous mat 4,which results in a lost turn. A player may also advance to his next mat4 by hitting another player's game piece 6 at any time.

Mats 4 may be used outside or inside and may be placed in anyconfiguration desired by the players. Game 2 does not have a definedplaying surface or periphery. Similarly, there is no outer barrier thatlimits the distance traveled by game pieces during play. The distancetraveled by game pieces 6 during play is solely limited by the strengthand skill of the payer flicking game pieces.

Other objects, modifications, and features of the inventions describedherein will be apparent to those skilled in the art as the detaileddescription. As such, these modifications, other objects and featuresare within the scope of the present invention.

1. A recreational game apparatus comprising: a plurality of mats, eachmat being adapted to be removably marked with playing data, wherein eachmat has a periphery with a beveled edge; and a plurality of game pieces,each game piece having a beveled edge.
 2. The game apparatus of claim 1further comprising a means for glowing in the dark disposed about atleast one of said mats or said game pieces.
 3. The game apparatus ofclaim 2 wherein the playing data is at least one of a number selectedfrom a group including 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13,level information, start or base play information, a hyper spot and ahazard.
 4. The recreational game apparatus of claim 1 comprising fourgame pieces.
 5. The recreational game apparatus of claim 1 comprisingthirteen mats marked sequentially.
 6. The recreational game apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the game piece is a disk.
 7. The recreational gameapparatus of claim 1 comprising: thirteen mats each removably markedsequentially from one through twelve, a mat removably marked start, amat removably marked base, at least one mat removably marked hazardous,wherein each mat has a periphery with a beveled edge; and a game piecethat is a disk.
 8. A recreational game apparatus comprising: thirteenmats each removably marked sequentially from one through twelve, eachmat having a beveled edge specifically adapted to accept at least onedisk thereupon, a mat removably marked start, a mat removably markedSkelzies base 13 at least one mat removably marked hazardous, and aplurality of disks, each having a beveled edge.
 9. A method of playing arecreational game comprising: distributing the mats of claim 1 about asurface and sequentially flicking the game piece of claim 1 toward atleast one mat.